Folding box



Oct. 10, 1950 M. LAZOW 2,525,690

' FOLDING BOX Filed July 3, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

his ATTOR-NEY Patented Oct. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BOX Morris Lazow, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 3, 1948, Serial No. 36,872

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to folding boxes which are arranged to be shipped in flat conditionand to instantly be set up for use with a minimum of effort, for the purpose of receiving and packaging of the contents.

The invention of the present application constitutes an improvement of the folding box disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 28,166, filed May 20, 1948, the present application constituting a continuation-in-part of such earlier application.

The improved box of the present invention may be made in a variety of sizes and shapes, the one illustrated in the drawing being generally square in horizontal section and rectangular in vertical section. It has particular usefulness in the preparation and packaging of ice-cream sandwiches which consist of two sweetened crackers with a small block of a frozen confection interposed therebetween.

This container saves a very considerable amount of time and effort in preparing such confections in that it renders unnecessary the steps of freezing a large block of the ice cream, cutting it into small sections with its attendant waste due to breakage of the small blocks, then applying the crackers and finally placing it in a bag or other wrapper.

The box of the present invention forms an effective support for the sandwich during manufacture. A cracker is first placed in the set-up box, a predetermined quantity of the partially frozen mixture allowed to flow into the box, the upper cracker put in place, and the box closed. It is then only necessary to place a quantity of the boxes in a larger carton, completethe freezing and then ship.

An important object of the invention is to form a folding box of the character described which is readily set up for use without flaps catching on other parts of the box during the setting-up operation.

Another object is to provide an improved upper closure for the box which folds over the open top, down over the outer surface of the front wall and a forward tab locks itself in the folds of the lower wall. The box also includes improved means for permitting opening of the box by the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel side wall structure which permits opening along two perforated lines after which all side walls are allowed to be moved away from the contents.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank used in forming a folding box embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the completed box in flat or folded position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the lower wall in partly set up condition and the upper wall or closure flap in partially closed position.

Fig. 4 is a broken side elevation showing a modified form of structure.

Fig. 5 is a broken plan view of the blank used in forming the box of Fig. 4.

The folding container of the present invention may be formed from a single blank of cardboard or other sheet material, the blank being shown in Fig. 1. This blank includes a rear wall of generally rectangular shape and carrying opposed side walls II and [2 along opposite sides thereof, perforated lines 13 and I4 separating such side walls from the rear wall. Side wall ll carries a gluing tab [5 along fold line IS. The opposite side wall l2 carries front wall along fold line 2 I. A folding tab 22 extends along fold line 23 on the lower longitudinal edge of front wall 20. Rear wall [0 carries upper wall 24 along fold line 25 and along the opposite edge 26 of the upper wall an outer front wall 21 is carried. A folding tab 28 is carried along fold line 29 and also along this fold line substantially in the center thereof is an opening 30, the purpose of which will be referred to hereinafter.

The lower wall. 3| is carried along fold line 32 at the lower edge of the rear wall and side walls 33 and 34 are carried along fold lines 35 and 36. These inner side walls or flapsare of a width equal substantially to the height of the box. At their inner ends, these side walls have square corners and at their opposite ends there is, a

rounded corner shown at 31 for a purpose to be discussed later. The outer edge 38 of lower wall 3| is formed with a recess 39 to receive the thumb to facilitate opening of the closure flap.

In assembling the box, it is only necessary to apply adhesive to tab [5 and affix it to the free end of front wall 20, the position of the tab in the completed folded box being shown in broken lines'in Fig. 2. The box may be shipped in the fiat folded condition shown in Fig. 2.

To set the box up for use, the operator grasps the side walls II and I 2 between the thumb and forefinger ,of the left hand and moves the four side walls to a generally rectangular position. Inner side walls 33 and 34 are then folded along crease lines 35 and 36 to assume slightly less than,

a right angular relation to bottom wall 3|. The bottom wall is then moved upwardly along crease line 32 until the inner terminals of inner side walls 33 and 34 engage the inner surfaces of the side walls H and 52. From there on in it is not necessary to hold the inner side walls in their angular position because of the support afforded by the outer side walls as clearly shown in Fig. 3. As the lower wall is moved into final position, it is only necessary to move flap 22 inwardly to the position shown and the box is ready for use. If the forward edges of inner side walls 33 and 34 were square as the rear edges thereof are shown to be, such edges would contact the front corner sections defined by fold lines [6 and 2| and thus prevent easy entry. The presence of the rounded edges, however, causes these inner side walls to move easily in place without any obstruction of any kind.

After the contents have been placed within the set-up box, the closure is moved to closed position by causing the upper wall 2:1 to overlay the upper opening end of the container, then causing outer front wall 2? to move downwardly into engagement with inner front wall 29 and at the same time causing flap 28 to move into the recess between lower wall 3i and flap 22. When flap 28 is in place as aforesaid, there is sufiicient frictional engagement between the parts to cause it to normally retain such closed position. To open the box, it is only necessary to place the thumb on the new lower edge of front wall 27 in the area defined by opening 3%. Thumb recess 35; makes it unnecessary to move the thumb in the area above lower wall iii. The front wall 21 is now moved outwardly and upwardly and the upper wall 2d similarly moved upwardly. Now, while holding the container in the left hand and the closure flap in the right, the latter is quickly drawn upwardly thus severing rear wall it] from side walls H and it along perforated lines I3 and Side walls ii and i2 are not secured to the remainder of the container along their lower edges and they are, accordingly, free from any further attachment with the box except along fold lines is; and El. Thus, all parts of the box are free to move onto a plane common with that of lower wall (it and the contents may be readily removed from such lower wall. In the modified form of the invention as shown in Fig. 4 the inner side wall A2 is not formed with the curved front edge but rather with a short substantially straight section :23 which is dis posed generally at right angles to lower edge 3:; thereof. Continuing upwardly the edge section it extends inwardly, sufficient of the material being cut away to permit easy upward move ment of these inner side walls without any obstruction at the front corner sections.

While two forms or embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arrangement incidental to a specific application thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiments shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated forms or embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A folding box formed from a blank having plural fold lines dividing the blank into wall sections including a rear wall provided with side and front wall sections extending laterally therefrom, the latter being joined together at their terminals to form a continuous side wall structure, the fold lines between the rear wall and the side walls being of weakened construction, a lower wall carried along the lower edge of the rear wall and inner side walls carried along opposed edges of the lower wall and provided with cut-away upper front corner sections to facilitate setting up, an upper wall carried on the upper edge of the rear wall and an outer front wall carried along the forward edge of the upper wall and provided with a folding tab along its opposite edge and arranged to be inserted in the folds of the lower front edge of the box.

2. A folding box formed from a single blank having plural fold lines dividing the blank into wall sections including a rear wall provided with side and front wall sections extending laterally therefrom along perforated lines, the opposed terminals of the laterally extending portion being joined together to form a continuous side wall structure, a lower wall carried along-the lower edge of the rear wall and inner side walls carried along opposed edges of the lower wall and provided with cut-away front corner sections to facilitate setting up, the free edge of the lower wall having a thumb opening therein, an upper wall carried on the upper edge of the rear wall and an outer front wall carried along the forward edge of the upper wall and provided with a folding tab along its opposite edge and arranged to be inserted in the folds of the lower front edge of the box, such tab having a thumb receiving recess to facilitate opening of the box.

MORRIS LAZOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,.i29,9ii Simmoneaux Mar. 2, 1915 1,182,585 Richardson IvIay 9, 1916 1,830,420 Blitz NOV. 3, 1931 2,305,349 Goodwin Dec, 15, 1942.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,367 Great Britain Oct. 11, 1911. 

